President Mahama Backs Tougher WASSCE Invigilation to Protect Academic Integrity

President John Dramani Mahama has defended the strengthened invigilation of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), saying Ghana’s education system must reward learning and integrity rather than examination malpractice.

Addressing residents during the Upper West Community Engagement under the Resetting Ghana Tour, the President said recent public debate over WASSCE results should not distract from the broader objective of restoring credibility to national examinations.

“I am pleased that we are now seeing the genuine performance of our students,” he said, adding that improved supervision had significantly reduced organised examination malpractice.

President Mahama said the era in which students expected leaked answers or intimidated teachers for enforcing examination rules must come to an end.

“Our children must succeed because they have learned, and our teachers must teach with integrity,” he stressed.

The President said the reforms form part of a broader effort to strengthen the quality of education, beginning with sustainable financing for schools.

He noted that when his administration assumed office, Free Senior High School faced persistent funding challenges, with delayed budget releases affecting school operations and food supplies.

According to him, government has now established dedicated funding for both Senior High Schools and student feeding, reducing the financial pressures previously reported by school heads.

President Mahama identified the double-track system as the next major challenge and announced that government, in partnership with the World Bank, had secured a US$300 million facility to eliminate it.

He expressed confidence that by the end of 2027, all Senior High Schools would operate a single-track academic calendar, increasing contact hours between teachers and students.

Beyond secondary education, the President said government was expanding investment in basic education through decentralisation, with every Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly expected to construct two classroom blocks annually using the District Assemblies Common Fund.

He said the combined investments in infrastructure, school financing and examination integrity were intended to improve learning outcomes and restore public confidence in Ghana’s education system.

President Mahama urged students to embrace hard work, saying lasting academic success should be built on knowledge, discipline and honesty.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD